Regression: What To Do When Your Daughter Starts To Regress

Sometimes when potty training children, they start to regress and have accidents or do not want to go potty on the toilet any longer. If your daughter is starting to regress and refusing to go or having accidents again, this can happen for a few different reasons.

You will want to determine the reason for the regression first before you will know how to handle the situation.

First, the reasons for regression in children can be for a multitude of reasons. It can happen when they are sick, there has been a death in the family, a new child has entered the home, there has been a divorce or separation at home, the family has moved to a new home or anything else that has caused stress to your daughter.

Stresses are usually what makes regression happen, since the normal routine has changed, they are upset or not feeling well or they are having to get used to or learn something else new. You want to make sure you know what has caused the regression first, so that you can handle it properly.

When it comes to moving to a new home, a divorce or separation, death in the family or a new sibling coming home, you can first talk with them about the situation. Depending on how upset they are, you can also let them know that she can stop potty training for a little bit and than come back to it.

Let them know that she is only stopping for say a week until she is more comfortable in the new home. Or in the case of a death, separation or divorce in the home, wait for a week or more until she seems to have calmed down and the normal routine is back. However, with a new sibling coming home, you do not need to stop the potty training with your daughter.

Instead talk to her about how she is a big girl now and a big sister and this is such an important responsibility. That she needs to be potty trained so she can play with her new sibling and teach them things.

However, when it comes to a child being sick or having problems even going to the bathroom because of an illness, stopping the potty training for a bit until they are feeling better is the best option.

If they are not feeling well they may not even be feeling that they need to use the bathroom, so putting a diaper back on them at this time is okay. Especially if your daughter is bed ridden from an illness. Let her know that the diaper is only temporary while she is sick and she will go back to using potty training pants when she is feeling better.

In the case of having problems going and not wanting to go or having accidents, make sure of what they are eating. If they are feeling constipated or it hurts to, they will hold it and than have an accident. You may need to change their diet than, but keep on with the potty training.

Need more potty training tips and advice on potty training problems or just general advice, check out all of our Potty Training Articles!